TSMC’s Photonic Breakthrough: One Engine to Power All AI Connections?
Original Article by SemiVision Research (IEEE ECTC , TSMC , Nvidia )
Several authors from TSMC have, for the first time, published a paper detailing the wafer-level optical and electrical characterization of the company’s Compact Universal Photonic Engine (COUPE). The paper elaborates on the structural design of COUPE-GC, highlighting how embedded micro-lens arrays, backside metal reflectors, and anti-reflective coatings are employed to minimize optical losses and enhance coupling efficiency. The study demonstrates that COUPE’s optical insertion loss is comparable to that of standalone PIC wafers, with precise wavelength control, solid electrical performance, and successful passage of multiple reliability tests. In summary, COUPE presents a promising solution for photonic-electronic integration modules in high-speed networking, high-performance computing (HPC), and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
At the 2025 IEEE ECTC, TSMC’s silicon photonics division published a new paper that further strengthens the COUPE concept. Led by TSMC Vice President K.C. Hsu, this work connects deeply with the themes addressed by ISIG and the TSMC * NVIDIA collaboration at Computex 2025. The SemiVision team will provide an in-depth analysis of this important contribution.
